Optical field-enhancement and subwavelength field-confinement using excitonic nanostructures

Abstract

We show that dye-doped polymers open an interesting route to controlling light at the nanoscale. Just as for the much better known metal-based plasmonic systems, propagating and localized modes are possible. We show that the attractive features offered by plasmonics, specifically enhanced optical fields and subwavelength field confinement, are also available with these materials. They thus open a new opportunity in nanophotonics in which fabrication and functionality might be achieved by harnessing molecular and supramolecular chemistry.